. >> chris: president obama and speaker boehner sounding up beat friday about prospects for cutting a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff and we're back now with the panel. so, after the president and congressional leaders met at the white house, on friday, the rhetoric was reassuring, the question is, is it real? do you get any sense, bob and this is the subject of your new book, that they really do see, are beginning to see a path to a compromise or are they trying to reassure nervous consumers before the christmas holidays and, investors because the stock market is done a thousand points. >> everyone is nervous about this. this is the last chance and the next six weeks could be six weeks that shook the united states if they don't fix this. there clearly is a new mood but the way they'll solve this, is kind of hostage exchange, in other words, the republicans are determined not to let tax rates go up and the president is determined or is determined to get more revenue and, it is possible to do this and the president is going along, it seems, with it some idea of entitlement reform, that